2008 New Mexico Earth Science Awards winners announced, Jan. 7, 2008

by L. Greer Price, NMBGMR

SOCORRO, N.M., Jan. 7, 2007 -- The 2008 New Mexico Earth Science Achievement Awards will be presented to Maxine Goad, for outstanding contributions advancing the role of Earth science in areas of public service and public policy in New Mexico, and to Dr. Robert S. Bowman, for outstanding contributions advancing the role of Earth science in areas of applied science and education in New Mexico.

These annual awards, co-sponsored by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, a division of New Mexico Tech in Socorro, and the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) in Santa Fe, were initiated in 2003 to honor those often unrecognized champions of Earth science issues vital to the future of New Mexico. Selections were made following a statewide nomination process.

The presentation will occur at noon in the rotunda of the state capitol building on Friday, January 25, during the legislative session, in conjunction with Earth Science Day. Several agencies will be staffing tables in the west wing of the Roundhouse from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on that day. The presentations will be made by Joanna Prukop, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, and Dr. Paul Bauer, associate director of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. The public is invited to visit the Roundhouse throughout the day and to attend the ceremony.

Maxine Goad was instrumental in the development of the state's ground water protection program in the 1970s, working first as a citizen advocate and then as a state employee to devise the rules that we use today. She was heavily involved in the oversight of uranium mining in the 1980s, where she oversaw studies that advanced the state's understanding of the potential and actual water quality impacts. In the early 1990s, Goad was very involved in the development and negotiation of a mine reclamation act for New Mexico. Goad is currently an “at large” member of the state’s Water Quality Control Commission.

Rob Bowman is currently chair of the Department of Earth & Environmental Science at New Mexico Tech, where for the past 20 years he has taught hydrology and mentored over 40 graduate students who are now working in industry, consulting, government, and academia. His primary research interests relate to the origin of dissolved materials in surface and ground water. This important work includes studies on the transport of solvents and fuels from spill sites, and the movement of nutrients and pesticides below irrigated fields in shallow aquifers. His research has also focused on the development of practical and affordable methods for the removal of pollutants from ground water. Bowman was pivotal in a statewide effort to improve estimates of evapotranspiration in the Rio Grande riparian corridor, the results of which has helped the state to better balance the varied water demands on the Rio Grande. Bowman has served on the board of the Socorro Soil & Water Conservation District, and overseen the development of the Socorro-Sierra Regional Water Plan. He was the 2006 recipient of New Mexico Tech’s Distinguished Research Award.

The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources is a non-regulatory research and service division of the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro. For 78 years, the Bureau has served as the geological survey for the State of New Mexico. EMNRD provides resource protection, recreation, and resource development services to the public and other state agencies. Nominations for next year’s awards are welcome from the general public and may be made directly to Peter Scholle, state geologist and director of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources.